Fence Project- The Neigbors Think I’m Nuts

[yeldogt]

As far as the oil stain method, I will say I built over a 1000 custom sheds with rough sawn pine. The stain we made was 4.5 gal diesel , with anywhere from 1/2-1 cup of coal tar added, depending on what shade of brown you wanted. Easily applied with a pump sprayer.. An old time method that worked.
30 years later most still going strong....

New cedar sidewall shingles on this bldg were brushed with new 5W30 dino oil. I've seen no evidence of it running down onto the windows in the past 3 years

I remember that mixture .. that coal tar was nasty. To think it was put all over docks back in the day -- we had houses in Strathmere as kid moved to OC and LBI. The old timers did use new motor oil .. I guess we were purists with linseed oil/ turp and you could buy this powder to make it white. You would dip the shingles or brush it on if redoing I wonder if it was powdered lead

 

[yeldogt]

OP I lived in Japan as a kid and I wish I had learned some of those woodworking skills --could have but being a dumb kid .. did not

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Wow, I would not want to live near some of you.

OP, I like the effect. I think that second pic shows it best after the oil is applied. It looks like weathered wood that's been stained, which is a look I really like. You get something similar with old pallet wood and Varathane Jacobean. I considered the oil method on my fence, but decided against it for a multitude of reasons. I like it as a DIY solution though. Thought about doing my workbenches that way.

I'd bet the soil contamination and carcinogen risks are a lot less than some people are espousing. I'd bet this is no more dangerous than changing your own oil for a few years without gloves. Also, based on what I've seen oil do in the past, I'd be pretty surprised if much of it ends up in the dirt.

At the end of the day, I like the way it looks. It's your property, do what you want with it if it makes you happy.

 

[Blind1]

IMO, the burning gives an interesting look, but you totally lost me at covering it with used motor oil. It baffles me that people think this is a good idea

I’d be upset if someone was spreading used motor oil over a shared fence.

 

[Blind1]

Wow, I would not want to live near some of you.

OP, I like the effect. I think that second pic shows it best after the oil is applied. It looks like weathered wood that's been stained, which is a look I really like. You get something similar with old pallet wood and Varathane Jacobean. I considered the oil method on my fence, but decided against it for a multitude of reasons. I like it as a DIY solution though. Thought about doing my workbenches that way.

I'd bet the soil contamination and carcinogen risks are a lot less than some people are espousing. I'd bet this is no more dangerous than changing your own oil for a few years without gloves. Also, based on what I've seen oil do in the past, I'd be pretty surprised if much of it ends up in the dirt.

At the end of the day, I like the way it looks. It's your property, do what you want with it if it makes you happy.

Less likely to be acutely or chronically toxic to an adult, but to developing children? Great way to get sued.

 

[PoorUB]

You are doing it wrong. Spread oil over the fence, then get out the torch!

 

[PelicanPines]

We all dance to our own music in our head. Does this make you nuts... hell now... you should find a group of people with like thinking and drive. You should feel at home here amongst all the GJ members.

Listen to the voices in your head... before listening to others.

 

[mike93lx]

I’d be upset if someone was spreading used motor oil over a shared fence.

If I lived next to that guy, I'd probably be putting up my own fence

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Less likely to be acutely or chronically toxic to an adult, but to developing children? Great way to get sued.

I was a very active, outdoorsy kid, and I don't remember spending a lot of time interacting with my parents' fence. I also can't remember licking it much.

Maybe it's because my brain rotted from the sealer my dad used.

 

[CN Spots]

Well, it sure as hell ought to keep the termites away.

The previous responses would lead me to believe that omitting the "used oil technique" whilst describing your process to the locals might be a good idea.

 

[Forgottonia]

It looks better than I expected based on the text description. Not really my cup of tea for a fence though. But I might use sugi on, say, the trim on a wooden bridge over a koi pond.

 

[m6z]

It just looks like a heavily weathered fence to me.

Obviously your process removed some of the moisture out of the wood, do you think that will have an impact on weather warping the boards?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I like the burnt effect, seen Wild Wonderful Off Grid use it on their home. That was the first majpr project I had seen done with it.

The used motor oil, not a fan for that type of fence. Maybe a corner post or two out in the field, yeah. Around the house/yard, Nah.

However, the wood floor in my garage (convenience store) had a pine floor that was "treated with used motor oil" and I despised it. Every time you touched it, it got on your jeans or hands. When I tore it out, it made nice heat in the old wood burner.

 

[Doward]

Amen on the plastic fences. Every time I see a house with a plastic fence I wonder if they bought their house from Walmart.

If it's in my neighborhood, it's because we're only allowed 6' white vinyl or 4' barred aluminum. Wasn't super happy about that, but HOA rules.

 

[welder4956]

Will it get onto the ground and eventually into drinking water? Yep

Sure it will, but the amount pales in comparison to the rainwater runoff from your nearest shopping center parking lot from all the cars with oil leaks. Not even a drop in the bucket in comparison.

 

[mike93lx]

Sure it will, but the amount pales in comparison to the rainwater runoff from your nearest shopping center parking lot from all the cars with oil leaks. Not even a drop in the bucket in comparison.

So because there is pollution elsewhere, we shouldn't care at all. Do I have that right?

 

[mikedodge]

You should have left some parts alone as a test to see how much of a difference doing that really makes long term.
I built my fence 12 years ago. The posts are pressure treated the rest is the cheapest 1x4 and 2x4s home depot had and the tops of everything I left rough cut. It looks weathered now but other then the part of the gate that gets handled everything else is holding up fine.

 

[macdabs]

wow ! I think everyone needs to look at a can of paint or what goes in all the vehicles we work on here . I never thought this forum would be a tree huggin bashing place from people posting from their china I -phone .
I gotta go and feed my coal boiler and wait for two hours for my electric leaf blower to charge. The green lithium battery doesnt last long but I think I am saving the planet .
Mac

 

[JeepYJ]

Sure it will, but the amount pales in comparison to the rainwater runoff from your nearest shopping center parking lot from all the cars with oil leaks. Not even a drop in the bucket in comparison.

Exactly- especially parking lots in less affluent areas where the cars are older and not in the best state of repair. That polluted runoff goes directly into storm drains and into waterways. Where does everyone think all of the grease and oil ends up that is used on cars, trucks, tractors, trains, etc?
Plenty of fences and trailer decks are treated with used oil. Is it more eco friendly to treat a fence with used oil and it lasts 4 or 5x as long or rebuild the fence more frequently with new materials? The amount of resources used to harvest, mill, transport and make your finished fence need to be looked at.

 

[ace10]

I doubt there are any real run off concerns. But I'd be concerned-as-hell about what was burning off and being inhaled.

 

[billconner]

Having coated everything wood with creosote - including tent platforms - on many spring work weekends at Scout camp in the 1960's - the used motor oil doesn't seem so bad. I also found little in web searching to suggest using it like the OP did is a hazard. Did find "Used oil itself is not deemed a listed hazardous waste by the EPA." And I like the look.

 

[Spencer Was Here]

OP, I won't comment on whether or not I would have chosen to burn the wood or apply used motor oil to it.

What I will say, is that if I were so inclined to do either or both, I would have done so to the wood before building the fence panels so that I could get to all sides and surfaces.

If you bought the fence panel sections pre-assembled then obviously that would not be possible.

Having the wood only partially burnt and or partially coated with motor oil will likely lead to it weathering in uneven ways.

 

[beemerphile]

Re: the "Your nuts" choice in the poll.

Grammar: The difference between knowing your **** and knowing you're ****.

 

[My Old Tools]

people used to spray kids at the public pool with DDT too.

what 'people used to do' is often a reason it is 'used to' and not still how it's done.

DDT is relatively safe and harmless to humans. The problem was bird eggs.

 

[bazzateer]

Used motor oil = a fire hazard.

It's a wooden fence, if it's going to ignite it won't make any difference.

 

[bazzateer]

This has reminded me, I need to recoat my side gate. Gave it a coat of used oil when it was built about 6 or 7 years ago. Just starting to look like it needs a top up.

 

[CraigStu]

Wow. My brother built his own house. 1st floor walls made of concrete & stone w/ the slip form method. The second floor is a gambrel roof so just the ends are wood. Rough cut 2x8s and 1x2s board and batten all coated w/ engine oil of some sort. Been there for 35 years. None of the oil has run off the wood because it would be very obvious on the concrete/stones below it. I don't know where everyone thinks the oil on your fence is going to go. It soaks into the wood. How will it contaminate anything? If it rained in the first 3 days after it was applied, I suppose 1 or 2% of it might run to the ground below it. Ooooh, the horror. I don't think anyone will be licking the fence or eating any of it later so how is this oil going to hurt anyone. What is burning off and being inhaled? I don't know but it's not like engine oil is the same as gasoline. If any of you change oil in your own car, next time you have it in the drain pan lean over and smell it. It is dang near odor free. Poor a spoon full onto a board and smell it tomorrow. Get a grip people. This isn't my favorite look for a fence but I have zero concern about it hurting anyone. Ever.

 

[ace10]

...What is burning off and being inhaled?...

I think it's reasonable to be concerned about what's in the wood.

Me, I don't burn PT lumber. Ever.

 

[JeepYJ]

The chemicals in PT wood are probably worse than a little bit of used motor oil.

 

[Firebrick43]

Less likely to be acutely or chronically toxic to an adult, but to developing children? Great way to get sued.

Do your kids chew on the neighbors fence?

 

[billconner]

Do your kids chew on the neighbors fence?

What's it taste like? Kids eat plaster with lead paint because it tastes like Necco Wafers. Try it. So if wood with motor oil tasted like candy - I doubt it does - I suspect they would.

I see no problem safety wise or environmentally with motor oil finish, and probably less bad than typical pressure treated wood.

 

[Firebrick43]

What's it taste like? Kids eat plaster with lead paint because it tastes like Necco Wafers. Try it. So if wood with motor oil tasted like candy - I doubt it does - I suspect they would.

I see no problem safety wise or environmentally with motor oil finish, and probably less bad than typical pressure treated wood.

Kids eat plaster with lead paint because they have parents that don't feed nor supervise them correctly.

 

[billconner]

The fact they choose plaster with lead paint over other things is because it tastes like candy.

 

[Firebrick43]

The fact they choose plaster with lead paint over other things is because it tastes like candy.

Ok and antifreeze does to but good parents don't let their kids lap that up either. Blaming the lead paint is just a scape goat for lack of personal responsibility. Why are they allowing peeling paint, why don't they remove the peeling paint, why don't they sweep up the peeling paint, why don't they discipline their kids for eating peeling paint?

 

[billconner]

Not the place to debate hundreds of years of social injustice and racism.

 

[Firebrick43]

Not the place to debate hundreds of years of social injustice and racism.

Are you kidding me? That is what your mind goes to? Lead paint doesn't care who eats it. There is no monopoly on bad parents either.

I grew up in a house with lead paint, but my parents spent very few dollars for a scraper, and some visqueen. And even though they were somewhat poor made sure my sister and I were feed above everthing else. As did many of my friends/neighbors as they all lived in 1890's farm houses.

 

[65ranchero]

But it's OK to use drained engine oil on concrete forms?
Nobody is screaming about that.
Just my thought.

 

[beemerphile]

When I re-deck a trailer floor, I always paint the wood with a blend of used oil and diesel fuel. Next time I think I'll just park a British car on it for a few weeks. The average worn-out car probably deposits more used oil into the ground than all the similarly treated fences combined .

 

[i4ni]

Kids of the 60's were exposed to all the good stuff. I can remember being in 1st or 2nd grade and was amazed how good leaded gas car exhaust smelled. Of coarse we had no idea how bad it was. Sounds crazy but it really did smell good. I also remember the streets being regularly covered with used oil for dust control so our bare feet had to be scrubbed often with a stiff brush and Comet, Pine-sol or worst of all turpentine. It was a little before my time but turpentine was considered a cure-all and every kid who came home with a wound or a rash or cold much to their dismay got dosed up with it and it burned like hell fire. That said I can't get too worked up about a little oil on a fence.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Close up it looks neat. Far away pictures it just looks like a dirty old fence to me. I think if there was some lightness to the darkness it wouldn't be as bad. Not my cup of tea but that's the beauty of everything, different strokes for different folks.

Might look completely different in a couple years as the sun/weather does it's think.. might lighten up somewhat?

-Nigel